Encouraged by response to Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY), a price deficiency payment scheme implemented last year for eight kharif crops in the wake of farm distress, the Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday extended it to four rabi crops. These include onion, the procurement of which had left the government in tears last year.

Under BBY, the government does not procure the produce from farmers. Instead, when prices fall below the minimum support price (MSP), the government pays the difference between the MSP and a modal rate worked out by taking the average of selling price in mandis in three states over a fixed period.

Nearly 10.5 lakh farmers, who registered themselves under the scheme for kharif crops, have sold 28.3 lakh MT of produce,…